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# All Out to Fort Benning, Georgia from November 20-22, 2009: Close the SOA!
In this SOA Watch Email Newsletter: Winds of Change from the South! SOA Watch Central America Delegation Report Back - FMLN takes over Presidency in El Salvador  Today the eyes of Latin America - and much of the world - are focused on tiny El Salvador, as representatives from over 100 countries converge for the historic presidential inauguration of FMLN´s Mauricio Funes. Funes´ inauguration marks the end of the two-decade rule of ARENA - an ultra right-wing party that was founded by SOA graduate and death squad leader Roberto DÁbuisson. The new president inherits a nation devastated by poverty and violence, but also filled with hope. The deep commitment of Funes to Monseñor Oscar Romero´s "preferencial option for the poor", along with FMLN´s long-term dedication to ideals of economic and social justice, bring a spirit of promise to all of Central America. A small SOA Watch delegation recently traveled to El Salvador to dialogue with this new government about the participation of Salvadoran soldiers in the SOA/ WHINSEC. Several officials of the new government, The SOA Watch delegation also visited Honduras, where they met with President Manuel Zelaya, as well as the Honduran Defense Minister and Chancellor. The SOA Watch delegation was privileged to be invited to participate in an all-day meeting with the president, his cabinet, and leaders of the country´s major social movements, to discuss new directions for the country. One of the nine formal proposals brought to this important gathering included the recommendation that Honduras withdraw its troops from the SOA/ WHINSEC. Members of the SOA Watch movement in the U.S. are lobbying their members of Congress to sign on to H.R.2567, the bill that would suspend operations at the School of the Americas (SOA/ WHINSEC) and set up a task force to investigate the connection between human rights abuses in Latin America and U.S. foreign military training. It is heartening to know that our southern counterparts are also organizing to close the school - by attrition. We are coming together - those whose tax dollars fund the school and those whose countries have been devastated by it, to close those doors of destruction, to open new doors of respect. Click here to read Lisa's article about the Central America delegation.Support SOA Watch's efforts in Latin America with a donation today. Click here to contribute now.
New Military Base in Colombia Would Spread Pentagon Reach Throughout Latin America  The Pentagon budget submitted to Congress on May 7 includes $46 million for development of a new U.S. military base in Palanquero, Colombia. The official justification states that the Defense Department seeks "an array of access arrangements for contingency operations, logistics, and training in Central/South America." The military facility in Colombia will give the United States military increased capacity for intervention throughout most of Latin America. The plan is being advanced amid tense relations between Washington and Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador, and despite both a long history and recent revelations about the Colombian military's atrocious human rights record. Click here to read the full article
November 20-22, 2009: Converge on Fort Benning, Georgia - SHUT DOWN THE SOA!  From November 20-22, 2009, thousands of progressive activists will converge at the gates of Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia for the annual vigil. In this exciting political climate, there is an air of cautious optimism that the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC) will be closed during this Congress. However, we recognize that the School of the Americas has operated under both Republican and Democratic presidents and there is still a lot of work to be done! It will take more than change in the White House to change the foreign policy of violence and imperialism that the SOA/WHINSEC represents, but Washington is feeling the pressure. Now is the time to educate the public and to show lawmakers that we have had enough. It is never too early to begin coordinating travel plans and organizing groups to travel to Columbus. Together we can show that the people of the Americas are taking a stand against violence and torture. Let's mobilize our communities to make our voices heard! Here are some valuable resources for your organizing: Local SOA Watch groupsTraveling to Columbus, Georgia Where to Stay in and around Columbus, Georgia Accessibility at the November 2009 Vigil Information for people without U.S. citizenship Legal Briefing for People Considering Civil Disobedience at SOA Protest We need to raise $70,000 to make the November Vigil to close the School of the Americas a success. Click here to make a donation to SOA Watch today. |
including Vice President Salvador Sánchez Cerén, met with the delegation and expressed an open spirit. Organizations within El Salvador echoed the plea that the new government withdraw troops from the SOA/ WHINSEC. At the May Day march, the Comadres (mothers of the disappeared) spoke of this imperative before the crowd of historic proportions. The Dean of the University of Central America (UCA) publicly stated that the continued training of troops at a school noted for teaching torture would be "intolerable".
